Forced Migration and Refugees

This lesson examines forced migration — the movement of people who have no meaningful choice but to leave their homes. It covers the legal definitions of refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons, analyses the world's major refugee crises, and evaluates the international response. This lesson addresses the Edexcel Enquiry Question: "What are the causes and consequences of international migration?"

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Definitions and Legal Framework

The legal framework for protecting forced migrants was established after World War II and centres on the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. These instruments remain the foundation of international refugee law.

Refugees

The 1951 Convention defines a refugee as a person who:

"owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country."

Key points:

• A refugee must have crossed an international border (those displaced within their own country are IDPs, not refugees).
• The persecution must be based on one of five protected grounds: race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group.
• The refugee must be unable to return safely or receive protection from their own government.
• The principle of non-refoulement is the cornerstone of refugee law: a state must not return a refugee to a country where they face persecution.

Asylum Seekers

An asylum seeker is a person who has crossed an international border and applied for refugee status but whose claim has not yet been determined. Asylum seekers have the legal right to have their claim assessed. Not all asylum seekers are granted refugee status — some are found not to meet the Convention definition and may face deportation.

In the UK, the asylum process involves:

1. Claiming asylum at the border or within the country.
2. Screening interview by the Home Office.
3. Substantive interview to assess the claim.
4. Decision (grant refugee status, grant humanitarian protection, or refuse).
5. Appeal rights if refused.

In 2023, the UK received approximately 84,000 asylum applications. The backlog of unprocessed claims exceeded 170,000, with average waiting times of over 12 months.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

Internally displaced persons are people forced to flee their homes but who have not crossed an international border. IDPs are often in more desperate situations than refugees because they remain within the jurisdiction of a government that may be responsible for their displacement — or unable to protect them.

• There were approximately 71 million IDPs worldwide in 2023, more than double the number of refugees.
• The countries with the most IDPs include Syria (6.9 million), Colombia (6.8 million), DRC (6.0 million), Ukraine (5.9 million) and Yemen (4.5 million).
• IDPs are not covered by the 1951 Refugee Convention because they have not crossed a border. The UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998) provide a framework, but it is not legally binding.

Category	Crossed a Border?	Legal Protection	Approximate Number (2023)
Refugee	Yes	1951 Convention; UNHCR mandate	36 million
Asylum seeker	Yes (claim pending)	Right to have claim assessed	6 million (pending claims)
IDP	No	UN Guiding Principles (non-binding)	71 million
Stateless person	Varies	1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions	4.4 million (known)

Exam Tip: Always use the correct terminology in exam answers. "Refugee", "asylum seeker" and "migrant" are not interchangeable — each has a specific legal meaning. Using them correctly demonstrates understanding of the legal framework that underpins international responses to forced migration.

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The Global Refugee Crisis: Scale and Geography

UNHCR Statistics (Mid-2023)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that by mid-2023, there were over 110 million forcibly displaced people worldwide — the highest figure ever recorded. This includes:

• 36.4 million refugees under UNHCR's mandate.
• 5.9 million Palestine refugees under UNRWA's mandate.
• 6.1 million asylum seekers with pending claims.
• 62.5 million internally displaced persons.

pie title Global Forcibly Displaced People (Mid-2023, millions)
    "IDPs (62.5m)" : 62.5
    "Refugees - UNHCR (36.4m)" : 36.4
    "Asylum Seekers (6.1m)" : 6.1
    "Palestine Refugees - UNRWA (5.9m)" : 5.9

Where Do Refugees Come From?

The majority of refugees originate from a small number of countries suffering prolonged conflict:

Country of Origin	Refugees Abroad	Main Cause	Main Host Countries
Syria	6.5 million	Civil war (since 2011)	Turkey (3.3m), Lebanon (0.8m), Jordan (0.7m), Germany (0.7m)
Ukraine	6.3 million	Russian invasion (since 2022)	Poland (1.0m), Germany (1.1m), Czech Republic (0.5m)
Afghanistan	6.1 million	Taliban takeover (2021), decades of conflict	Pakistan (1.7m), Iran (3.4m)
South Sudan	2.3 million	Civil war (since 2013)	Uganda (0.9m), Sudan (0.8m), Ethiopia (0.4m)
Myanmar	1.3 million	Military coup (2021), Rohingya persecution	Bangladesh (0.9m), Thailand, India

Where Do Refugees Go?

A persistent misconception is that refugees primarily go to wealthy Western countries. In reality, 75% of refugees are hosted by low- and middle-income countries, and 70% are hosted by neighbouring countries:

• Turkey hosts the largest refugee population in the world: 3.3 million, mostly Syrians.
• Iran hosts 3.4 million, mostly Afghans.
• Colombia hosts 2.5 million Venezuelans.
• Pakistan hosts 1.7 million Afghans.
• Uganda hosts 1.5 million, mostly from South Sudan and the DRC.

Exam Tip: This fact — that developing countries bear the greatest burden of hosting refugees — is critical for evaluation. It undermines arguments by wealthier nations that they are "overwhelmed" by refugees. In a 20-mark essay, this point demonstrates strong evaluative skill.

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Case Study: The Syrian Refugee Crisis

The Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, has produced one of the largest forced displacement crises since World War II.